Review by Kisstopher Musick
The title drew me in and caused me to have a deeper connection with each piece. The expectation is set for the reader and well met. There is a connection with the sea and the changing tides, which are echoed in life changes in many of the works, culminating in the poem “Tea with God” that provides a beautiful capstone for the collection.
The voice and perspective of each piece was rich, full, and authentic. The speaker’s point of view is always clear and expressive, providing insight to their experience and motivations. The point of view throughout is one of deep connection, creating a feeling of intimacy between the reader and speaker. The mood shifts but never quite escapes a sense of longing and loss with a hint of hope woven throughout.
The collection is divided into six groupings, each with its own unique but connected theme. Each seamlessly flows into the next. The works in “The Sea is a Stranger” is filled are tales of emptiness that can simultaneously leave the reader with a sense of longing and hope. “Timing” is an excellent example of this. The refrains “I found the sea-star too late” and a few lines later “I found you too late create” a sense of yearning, and the finale fills us with hope.
This feeling of longing, despair, hope and the slightest hint of optimism is evident throughout the pieces. The balance between being crestfallen, feeling heartache, and finding optimism is interwoven, making this collection a fun and interesting emotional and intellectual experience. My one criticism would be that it left me longing for more.